True to Me - Kay Bratt Page 0,51

it. That it was considered a way of life. And one from her mother’s heritage at that.

Finally, they pulled into the national park, and Liam paid, then parked. It wasn’t too crowded, and they made quick time on the trail to the pools.

“What the—” He stopped at a metal gate blocking off access to the trail that led down to the pools.

A sign posted said they were closed because of recent landslides.

“It’s okay,” Quinn said, seeing the disappointment on Liam’s face as his shoulders slumped in defeat.

He looked around. “No, it’s not. I grew up swimming in those pools and jumping off those exact rocks. They aren’t locking me out.”

“But those boys you lectured . . . ,” Quinn said, trailing off.

“Those boys were young and stupid. They haven’t lived long enough to respect the cliffs and water. I know what I’m doing.”

Before Quinn could argue, he jumped the fence, then turned around and held his arms out. “Come on.”

She shook her head. “Isn’t this federal land? I don’t want to go to jail for trespassing.”

He beckoned her closer. “Quinn. Just climb, and I’ll catch you on this side. No one’s going to jail. Anyway, I know all the workers here if we did get caught.”

She hesitated. She was a rule follower. Always had been. But his face. He looked so hopeful. All day he’d wanted to show her this one special place more than any other.

First a deep breath, then she climbed the fence and threw a leg over.

He caught her around her waist and set her gently down on the other side, as though she weighed less than a feather—a real boost for her bruised ego of always feeling like she needed to lose a good fifteen.

Quickly she followed behind him, glancing every now and then up at the trail to see if any federal agents were running after them. She felt like such a criminal, but honestly it also gave her a little thrill.

Down at the pool Liam found a bush with dainty pink flowers and plucked one off, then threw it in the water. He watched it carefully before stripping off his shirt and diving in, surprising her with his sudden disappearance.

She sat down by the water and watched him reappear.

He shook the water off his head and wiped his face, then grinned up at her.

“Want to come in?”

“Not today. But what’s with the flower?” she asked.

“It’s an offering. Hawaiian legend says before swimming in these pools, you should make an offering to the resident mo’o. Those are the old lizards. If the flower disappears, you don’t have permission, and it’s a warning to stay away. If it floats, it’s safe.”

With another look at the flower, he waded to the far side and began climbing the rocks. As Quinn watched, he reached one of the highest points, and then, as she held her breath, he dived off, making barely a ripple as he hit the water.

He was a different sort of athlete from Ethan. Smooth. Quiet. Humble.

With Liam, it didn’t feel like he was showing off. It just felt natural to see him do the things he’d been doing his whole life, while respecting the environment around him as a living thing.

She was glad he’d rushed the road to Hana to get her to the pools before too many people arrived. It was the most enchanting place she’d ever been. As he climbed and dove again, then swam out, she gazed at the water, her arms hugging her legs close to her chest.

There were times in Quinn’s life when she’d felt sad. Probably never more so than the day her mother had given up her battle. But for the most part, she tried to keep a positive outlook. Ethan didn’t like for her to come off as melancholy or pouting. For him she always tried to hold that part of herself inside. Hidden.

She was in such deep thought that Liam had climbed out of the water and was beside her before she realized it.

“I know you’re unhappy today,” he said. “I don’t know why, and I don’t need to know. But I’m here if you want to talk.”

She felt tears sting the back of her throat. She swallowed, pushing the lump down. His soft words shattered her facade, and she didn’t like it. Or wasn’t used to it. Never in her life had she talked to a man about her emotions. It felt alien to her.

“Thank you,” she finally mustered. She wouldn’t disrespect him by denying